Pull-ups with little fingers

Imphal, Oct. 14: Local boy Maibam Itomba Meitei today made a Guinness record attempt by doing 20 pull-ups in 31 seconds. The twist — he did it with just his little fingers!

Meitei, 24, a resident of Naoremthong in Imphal West, rested his fate on his little fingers before a packed audience at the Jawaharlal Nehru Dance Academy auditorium here. Those present included Lok Sabha MP Thokchom Meina Singh and Guinness record holder M. Okendra Singh.

Sports Authority of India technical expert K. Khosna monitored the feat by 51.5kg youth, who managed the 20 “little finger” pull-ups in 30.906 seconds. The attempt was also videotaped.

“As far as I know, there is no Guinness record for little finger pull-ups. However, we found that an American could do 16 pull-ups with his little fingers in a minute. I hope to make a record,” Meitei said.

The organisers of the event — local clubs Brilliant Club and Lakhsh Pioneer Committee — will be sending the video recording and details of the feat to Guinness World Records, with a request for making an entry. They have already contacted Guinness officials and are trying to fulfil all requirements for an entry.

Meitei, the youngest of six children of a former grade IV government employee, owns an iron workshop, specialised in making almirahs. He started practising the little finger pull-ups five years ago.

Starting with his middle fingers, he shifted to the little fingers.

Doing pull-ups is nothing new for Meitei, who was a national-level weight lifter before the death of his father, Maibam Chandramani Singh and had bagged gold medals in the All India SAI Inter Weight Lifting Championships and the 4th Sub-junior Boys National Weight Lifting Championship, both held in 2007.

He had to start the workshop after his father’s death to supplement family income as his mother, Chadrashakhi Devi, was a homemaker and their only source of money was his father’s pension.

“I started thinking of doing something uncommon after watching feats on television that made Guinness records. I also consulted M. Okendra Singh, a Guinness record holder, for his tallest topiary,” Meitei said.

Meitei’s earlier record was 26 pull-ups in a minute. His feat drew attention after he demonstrated it during yaoshang (holy) sports in his locality last year, following which elders of his locality encouraged him to attempt a record.

“I think the little finger is the weakest body part. I want to make it the strongest among the fingers,” the youth said.